Tivoli Dream

Last night I dreamt another person and I were walking down the main street of Glenwood, Illinois, the town I lived in as an elementary/middle school student. We crossed the railroad tracks and passed a old, decrepit building emitting the most wonderful spaghetti sauce smell. I declared this place to be the Tivoli restaurant, an establishment my grandfather worked as an electrician and that my family frequented in my youth. My traveling companion and I entered the building, surrounded by the lucious cooking smells while also surrounded by run down conditions....poorly patched paneled walls, worn carpeting. After repeatedly asking if anyone remembered my grandfather, Amos Denham, we are finally introduced to a dentally challenged, middle aged red head who had known him and cheerfully led us to the basement so we could chat. While in the basement rats crawled out of a hole in the wall -- as in life, I was afraid of these aggressive rats . We were able to wrap the rats in blankets and coats and scare them off. The dream quality of the rats was that they were not only black and brown, but pink and lime green. It should be noted that they were just as frightening in the brighter colors.

I am not sure what precipitated this dream as I haven't thought or discussed that restaurant in years. I did have a conversation about my grandfather recently when during a political discussion with my son I commented that he had been a "Humphrey man." It has left a melancholy feeling this morning. While the dream brings to mind childhood memories and unearths forgotten places, it has left me with a melancholy feeling of missing my grandfather. Maybe the reason for the dream is to simply bring back to life someone who has left me.